Multivent container dispenser



June 12, 1951 T. WILL 2,556,608

MULTIVENT CONTAINER DISPENSER Filed Feb. 3, 1949 32 W F 27 5 INVENTOR.

THEODORE W'ILL gww Patented June 12, 1951 MULTIVENT CONTAINER DISPENSER Theodore Will, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to Hom-Del, Inc., Hollis, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 3, 1949, Serial No. 74,430

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in air conditioning apparatus, and, more particularly, aims to provide a novel and valuable housing structure for use with an odoremitting device, including a bottle or the like for containing a suitable liquid and a wick element; the present improvement being intended primarily but not exclusively for treating air for the purpose of removing odors therefrom, by diffusing through the air and by way of said wick element and from said liquid as absorbed by the wick element 2. vaporous substance which absorbs or otherwise dissipates undesirable odors and/ or disperses a pleasant odor through the air. 7 'Many chemicals are known having this quality of clearing up undesirable odors in a room, refrigerator or other closed space.

In accordance with the usual practices in using the well-known article comprising the bottle or the like, the wick element and the contained liquid, such article being widely made and marketed under the name air-wick and under other names, when the surrounding air has been satisfactorily reconditioned by emanation of vaporous matter from the upper end portion of the wick as protruded from the upper end of the bottle or the like, the relatively limply flexible Wick is usually forced down into the bottle or the like, hereinafter for convenience called the bottle, until the wick is wholly returned to the interior thereof, and then the bottle is closed by means of a stopper or other equivalent, such as a screw-on cap. This arrangement, used by itself, has a number of serious objections. The bottle is frequently tipped over and the liquid spilled.

Another objection resides in the fact that each time the wick is withdrawn from the bottle, the

fingers of the user must be employed in the process, which is messy and inconvenient. Also, during use, the stopper often becomes mislaid.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and valuable housing structure for the bottle and its ordinarily contained accessories, whereby all the above mentioned disadvantages, among others, are wholly overcome, and, furthermore, with said housing structure so constituted that its height dimension may be readily varied, as for adapting such dimension to the different heights of difierent bottles as purchasable from the appropriate retailers, such as 3 Claims. (01; 299-24) V 2 druggists, hardware shops and grocery stores, and/or optimum use in relatively moving one part of the new housing structure relative to the other in the one case to close the bottle and in the'other case to open it and withdraw the upper portion of the wick element; and also so constituted that the same, regardless of any such height adjustment, may be so shaped and/or ornamented or embellished as to present an object as pleasing to the eye as the ordors diffused from the wick element are pleasing to the olefactory nerve; and also so constituted that when the same is so adjusted as not to close the bottle there is as free diffusion of said odors as though the bottle, not exactly an objet dart as viewed in the nude, were in the usual exposed placement, as in akitchen, bathroom, boudoir or elsewhere.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle housing structure which is so constituted that the same includes relatively movable parts such that one thereof may be employed for applying. a stopper closure to the wick-passing opening of the bottle or for raising said stopper thereby to extend the upper end portion of the wick through said opening, all without having to have direct access to the bottle and so without having to open up the housing structure; and also so constituted that, with the bottle in the assembled housing structure, observation may be had as to the level of the liquidin the bottle.

For further comprehension of the invention,

and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

- In the accompanying drawings froming a material part of this disclosure:

vFig. 1 is a perspective view of a now favored embodiment of the invention, with the enclosed wick-carrying bottle. partially shown in broken lines.

: Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 2-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the housing structure, below called the casing, and with the stopper-carrying uppermost component thereof removed.

- Fig. 4 side elevationally shows said component.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 6, drawn to a slightly enlarged scale, shows said component partially in side elevation as viewed while looking toward the right in Fig. 4, and partially in vertical axial section; and with the roof portion of the upper member of the casing indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of said component, with the same inverted, and with the stopper detached.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, a typical bottle of the kind above described is indicated at lil, containing a suitable quantity of the liquid H. The said bottle is shown as having the familiarly constructed upstanding neck [H surrounding the opening through which the wick i2 is adapted to extend. The lower end portion of the wick I2 is to be submerged in the liquid II, and so adapted to emit odorous vapors when there is an adequate amount of liquid in the bottle and when the latter is enclosed at its said opening. The neck Ill may be, and sometimes is, externally threaded for; attachment; of a screw-cap to close the bottle after using a pin,

wire or the like to force down into the bottle opening the entirety of the wick I2.

In the, present case, however, use is made, in carrying out the invention, of a bent wire stirrup i l ofalmost-closed. shape, or of a, suitable equivalent, which is attached to the upper end of the. wick as shown in Fig. 2; which use of this feature will become clear from what follows.

Referring now to the casing of the invention as by. way of example illustrated herein, which casing as a whole is designated 15, the same as shown as. of decorative pedestal form and from topto bottom. substantially of rectangular crosssection; but as will be understood the casing of the invention may be of any desired and appropriate shape. The casing I5 is also shown as including. merely two telescopically inter-engageable sections, although, as will also be understood, such sections may be present to a total of more than two.

The upper one [5 of these sections is shown as the one telescoped over the lower section, this marked H and desirably including a goodfoundation feature here shown as in the form of a basal perimetral outstanding flange H Said lower section H is illustrated in Figs. 1

and 2 as having at one of its preferably wider sides an opening 18 for serving as a peepwindow for visual check at any time of the height of the liquid H in the bottle H3. A similar window, as

shown at 8 in Fig, 2, is also desirably present. Ledge-like external stops [9 are also formed on the exterior of the lower section 11-. The upper section it, part way down along its length, has a band-like thickening 20. The lower section ll,

at a suitable point along its length andat the left side thereof in Fig. 2, has a pit-like recess 2! for acting as the female element of a detent holding means the cooperant male element of which is carried by the upper section, It, said male element being shown as in the form, of a resilient curl 22 at the. bottom of a leaf-like subdivision of the fairly thin lower subdivisionof;

the upper section l6 and dependent from the latter below the thickened portion of said upper section.

A similar leaf and curl couple may be provided at the opposite side of the upper section 16, as; indicated at 23; and like leaf and curl couples.

may also be present, one such at each of the opposite ends ofthe upper section I6, as. shown in 4 the case of one of the last-named couples at 2! in Fig. 1.

Adjacent to the root portion of the leaf-like carrier of the curl 22 the upper casing I6 is formed to incorporate an inturned teat 25 for coaction at a desired time with the recess 2 I, that is, when it is desired to releasably retain the upper section It at a higher level relative to the lower casing ll than as shown in Fig. 2, as when the casing is to be used with a bottle corresponding to but of greater height than the bottle It]. It is to be understood in this connection that a plurality of recesses analogous to the recess 2| may be arranged spacedly along; a, vertical line on the lower casing l1, for selective individual use in employing the casing properly to house a bottle of any one of several heights.

Thetwo casing parts may be made of any suitable material as a plastic of any color, or, for another example, of any thin-sheet metal, buffed, plated, enamelled or otherwise finished as desired; but, particularly with the curl 22 or an equivalent present, said material preferably would be. one of such elastic property as to impart to the above mentioned leaf-and-curl ou lesor ouiva on t e re ui t r s y-- The upper section 1 6,. all over; its side and end wel 5 pi -to l a m lt p i ity of, argo dors.- passi h l s .6 and a uit l rali y o sm lle su o s ar shown a s carri d by the roof; wall of the. uppersection It;

Said ofi ell lso cen a t r as; a large circular hole 23. forming the main part of ak o shapes o e i o ho o h mon s 2 ofai ;ho ehis roo W llis orm n lu e a it nder o on o a h.- at y. ex n in fo mat ons .9 -r o o o these. at e r; she P0 1 1 pro ding ien t traokw y thheoh -fa r n o or ofoxa tendihg way1- r nia no. th lowonoof: eid olh e lar emen s Th st pp ra r mponent. m n ioned above inlcon eo ion. wi h: t e..'b i-ooscr p ions. Figs. 3-7., and as a. w ole; desi ate .9. 5. ade up. of sev ral; separate par s. hes ar a n de irably fr s o-o i fin er-niece 3i; h r below anattachmentate Quarr po e project d? lu s 32?. 3.2a. aohof; h s lo nclude inaendwall, 3.33; b low. said; m te, pper; fit-,this, desirabl i. o t bbe i and a c -s ud 34 at its upper por ion. s c ed. a in a d n. and to the fin e ioo fi hence pass n d wn; through, a. central aperture inthe plate 32, and; below such plate having aplaincylindrical len thsubdivision, for frictional seizure of the stopper; 33 at oentralb re hr ueh he a e S i stud; at; its bottom onethfiubdiy s onthi pro-- J'ected. below. t under ide; o t opn n. forkedg as at. 3:5; with one such; fork; haying the; female element Of, a, latch and the other fork; havinethacooperant maloo omont. f fidflatch. as ost shownper apsiu l eho dld t nt: elements, these illustrated; as;v r mmnss: n. ai forks, aredesieha edziifif.

Reverting-to the formations: 2.9; one tor both of these. may. also; be so, shaped; that at; asuitable point. a o e he. en th.- th reoi t noornorato: vertical wall-not showhzhut upstandiha r mth ir: shelf-portions or. dependent; from thcsroof wall-of: th upp c n t; or joinin uoh h -ror iohr andzroofswallg so that;one or -both,of;;sai d;vertieal; wall wilr-oonstitut astop for abu in ai al element. 3.-2P- f.; the pla e. .2. o. pr v nt; ol ulli turnin of: said plate wh n t: s; applied; as. xt: wi rho d sorihedr nlniountihe the omnonentsfie fried by the wick I2.

' Operation t With the upper section it removed, and with the bottle Ill or other procured bottle, the same now having its liquid N to the proper height :therein and its usual stopper having been removed and discarded, the wick-carried stirrup I4 is then rather considerably drawn upward. Next the component is sent at its attachment plate 32 through the key-hole shaped openin 28, and then rotated to lock said component on the upper section I6. Next the fork 35 is applied as above stated to the stirrup I l, with the bottle inserted upwardly into the said section It. The lower end of the bottle is now inserted downwardly into the lower section ll, with the latter resting upright on a suitable support, and with the bottle and upper section held manually that there is no strain on any of the parts. At the proper instant during this lowering of the bottle into the section H, the upper section it is telescopically applied to the section ii.

If this lowering of the section It be terminated when curls 22 and 23 arrive to abut the ledge-like stops I9, E9, the upper end portion of the wick remains above the now open upper end of the bottle, and the apparatus is operative with the same efiicacy for air conditioning as though the new housing structure were not present. When such air conditioning is desired to be ended, all that is necessary is to push the section I6 further down on the casing 11, and until said curls abut the basal flange Il thereby to force the wick to the normal substantially serpentine collapse thereof in the bottle and wholly insert the stirrup M in the bottle and drive the stopper 3! properly down into the neck of the bottle to close the latter.

Some of the special adaptations of the invention may be mentioned. One such is to provide the housing of small size, as for use in automobiles. A variation in a home use housing, or indeed, in a housing for use anywhere, would be to form the lower or lowermost section so as to include a means or portion for coaction with suitable wall bracket. The perforationszii and 27 may of course be variously modified, as to individual outline, size and spacing.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A structure for protectively housing and operatively coacting with a container having an opening near its top and containing an air conditioning liquid and a wick to be entered into the liquid, said wick having a part connected to and near the upper end thereof, said structure comprising telescopically couplable top and bottom hollow sections, said top section having a plurality of holes, a stopper mounted on said top section and shaped to fit within and close the container opening in a certain adjustment of said sections, means below said stopper for gripping said part connected to the wick, whereby,'when said top section is in a raised position on said bottom section, said wick will have its upper end projected above the container opening, and a detent means for holding said top section at the last-named elevation, the parts being so dimensioned that said top section is so much lowerable on said bottom section that when said top section is thus lowered said stopper is lowered to enter and close the container opening following action of said gripping means in pushing down into the container the entirety of the wick and said part connected to the wick, said gripping means comprising a fork with its time downwardly directed. 4

2. A structure for protectively" housing and cperatively coacting with a container having an opening near its top and containing an air conditioning liquid and a wick to be entered into the liquid, said wick having a part connected to and near the upper end thereof, said structure comprising telescopically couplable top and bottom hollow sections, said ,top section having a plurality of holes, a stopper mounted on said top section and shaped to fit within and close the container opening in a certain adjustment of said sections, means below said stopper for gripping said part connected to the wick, whereby, when said top section is in a raised position on said bottom section, said wick will have its upper end projected above the container opening, and a detent means for holding said top section at the last-named elevation, the parts being so dimensioned that said top section is so much lowerable on said bottom section that when said top section is thus lowered said stopper is lowered to enter and close the contaner opening following action of said gripping means in pushing down into the container the entirety of the wick and said part connected to the wick, said gripping means comprising a fork with its tines downwardly directed, each of said tines carrying one of the two cooperant male and female elements of a latch.

3. A structure for protectively housing and operatively coacting with a container having an opening near its top and containing an air conditioning liquid and a wick to be entered into the liquid, said wick having a part connected to and near the upper end thereof, said structure comprising telescopically couplable top and bottom hollow sections, said top section having a plurality of holes, a stopper mounted on said top section and shaped to fit within and close the container opening in a certain adjustment of said sections, means below said stopper for gripping said part connected to the wick, whereby, when said top section is in a raised position on said bottom section, said wick will have its upper end projected above the container opening, and a detent means for holding said top section at the last-named elevation, the parts being so dimensioned that said top section is so much lowerable on said bottom section that when said top section is thus lowered said stopper is lowered to enter and close the container opening following action of said gripping means in pushing down into the container the entirety of the wick and said part connected to the wick, said gripping means comprising a fork with its tines downwardly directed, each of said tines carrying one of the two cooperant male and female elements of a latch, a finger-piece above said stopper, and an attachment plate between said stopper and said finger-piece perimetrally projecting beyond said finger-piece, said fork having a portion extended upward through said,

stopper, said attachment plate and said fingerpiece joining those parts together, said plate being of circular outline and having a projected lug, said to section having a roof wall having an opening of an outline corresponding to the outline of said plate so that through the lastnamed opening said plate and. its lug may be downwardly passed and then rotated to releasably connect said stopper to said roof wall.

THEODORE WILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Hawkes Dec. 10, 1889 Cox Sept. 4, 1894 Winchester Sept. 10, 1929 Wheeler et al. June 28, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 25, 1898 

